JJ Cale, known as the founder of 'the Tulsa Sound' for his brilliant understated sensitivity on the guitar, coupled with his minimalist lyrics and his passion for the engineering side of the sound studio, has died.

Cale was late in getting his music out there. His first album, Naturally was released in 1972 when he was 33. It contained the song, Crazy Mama which made it to #22 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart that year. By his own admission, Cale wouldn't have minded the fortune, but eschewed the fame. So it wasn't until Eric Clapton joined forces with Cale on their Emmy-winning album, Road to Escondido (2006) that Cale was reluctantly drawn back into the limelight.

Cale claimed that his genius in the recording studio where he discovered the power of drum machines, was born of necessity. In an interview with Aaron Kayce, Cale told him, "I first started out doing that because of the economics; I didn't have enough money to hire a band. Now that I have enough money to hire a band, I still like that; it's kind of an art form in itself."

Cale's roster of Blues artists who sing his praises is impressive: First and foremost is Eric Clapton who said, "...I was impressed by the subtlety by what wasn't being played." Neil Young also weighed in on Cale: "JJ's the one who played all that s*** first...he's got that thing. I don't know what it is."

On February 23, 2009, Critic Michael Corcoran wrote in the Austin American Statesman "...Cale serves the blues rock like the best $1.99 breakfast you've ever had...Nobody can hit it hard and soft at the same time, and still carry a melody, like this 70-year-old boogie minimalist."

JJ Cale's death, at 74 of a heart attack last Friday, brings to mind his lyrics of Roll On's final cut, "enough is enough, can't do it no more/ Bring down the curtain, close the door."

On April 12, 1962, the Herb David Guitar Studio opened in a basement on South State and one of the great success stories in Ann Arbor and the music business began. AADL talked to Herb David shortly after the closing of his landmark studio on East Liberty, almost 51 years to the day the studio opened. Herb's influence extends beyond the students he taught to love music, the musicians who bought his handmade instruments, the local bands he nurtured and promoted, to the top musicians that visited his studio to talk "shop" and discovered David's wide range of interests in philosophy, cultures and travel. Herb's genuine concern for his community and the power of music to transform lives as well as his great sense of humor shine through in this podcast.

YOU can access over 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

JAZZ / BLUESPark St Trio: Catchy, Melodic Jazz For All Occasions
Like Goodnight Daylight, the first Park St. Trio album, 3 Plus 5 was recorded to 1-inch tape with no overdubs, no "fixing" of notes, no redos. On this album, what you hear is what they played. In the studio the band did three takes per song and selected their favorite one. True to the art of jazz, they invited a number of guest musicians, five to be exact, to record with them to add excitement, depth and unpredictability to the music. Recorded at Little Red Wagon Studios, and mastered at Headless Buddha Studios, the outcome is a catchy, quality album that establishes Park St. Trio on the Bay Area jazz scene.

ROCK / FUNKBrad Sucks: Brilliantly Sardonic Indie Rock
Guess Who's a Mess is the third self-recorded and produced release from Brad Sucks. A more uptempo and aggressive outing than I Don't Know What I'm Doing (2003) and Out of It (2008), Guess Who's a Mess mixes funky beats, noisy synths and big guitars with Brad's wry, world-weary vocals about handling people's expectations and learning to be true to yourself.

YOU can access over 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

POP / ROCKYongen: Transnational Dream Pop Luxury
Give a listen to the elegant dream pop of Yongen, the project name of songwriting team Chieko and Toshio Kamei. A modern crooner a la Bryan Ferry, Toshio's voice has a refined, architectural quality about it; he arcades serenely through the big, curvaceous melodies of Moonrise, giving the entire album a great neo-debonair sound. Rhythmically this album contains lots of savvy bossa nova and samba references; tailored synths keep the overall tone airy and modern. An exquisite blend of transnational influences and lush sound.

NEW AGE / WORLD / FLUTESuzanne Teng: World Flute With a Serene Energy
Enchanted Wind might be global flutist Suzanne Teng's best yet: seven long tracks that showcase her sinuous, slowly unfolding melodies on the alto flute, bass flute, and the rare contrabass flute. The mood here is profoundly quiet and serene; there are no beats at all and the accompaniment on harp, dulcimer, harmonium, and zither is delicate and minimal. The approach shows the full scope of Teng's talent too; stripped of adornment, you really hear how masterful her tone and breath control are, and the music itself is timeless.

ELECTRONICAWicked Boy: A Wicked Mix of Ambient/Jungle/Trash Trance
Straight from Skultuna, Sweden, comes the fantastically dark and deeply textured ambient-trash-trance of Wicked Boy, whose influences include Massive Attack, Yello, Prodigy, and Depeche Mode. This album, "The Treatment", is full of gritty beats and smart loops. Listen for the icily femme vocals on the title track that contrast with the gritty, brooding backdrop. Other standouts include "Pressure," "Strange Days" and "Wide Dynamics."

The Ann Arbor Hacker-Makers of All Hands Active will show us how to use basic circuitry to create a musical instrument, the Atari Punk Circuit. The Circuit uses basic electronics and two knobs to allow people to create basic two-tone electronic sounds.

Learn a bit about electricity, circuits, and have some fun trying out making different sounds. While you're at the Library, take a look at the Music Tools collection, too!

Ice Cream Vendors songs are all written and composed with a collaborative effort. For this workshop, ICV's Jon Kostal and Greg Barnett let you in on their unique approach to songwriting. Learn about song inspiration based on unusual everyday sources.

Chicago's unique musical institution-Ice Cream Vendors-are not just a musical duo but a mysterious life force! Songs about beta data, bacon men, and sharing eyeglasses will have you smiling and geeking out right alongside them!

Sign up for the AADL Summer Game at the concert, and be one of the leaders for great summer game prizes.

Seattle kindie rock band The Not-Its! took the children's music world by storm with their award-winning debut album, We Are The Not-Its! Featuring lead vocals by Sarah Shannon (of lauded '90s indie-pop band Velocity Girl). Their high-energy performance makes the ENTIRE family want to dance along and jump up and down.

Look for old friends, find a new doctor, or learn about the companies you buy from and invest in. ReferenceUSA is the place for information about businesses, health care providers, and residences in the United States. Besides phone numbers and addresses for both businesses and people, ReferenceUSA also gives you up to date, detailed information on U.S. Companies.

Get your money out of that mattress and get it working for you with the help of Value Line! Value Line has extensive financial and statistical data from independent analysts as well as the Value Line Investment Survey, featuring advice on approximately 1,700 stocks in 97 industries. You can also look through recent news and analysis, educational tools, and information on building an investment portfolio.